Dawn Lorraine Fraser, AO, MBEis an Australian freestyle champion swimmer and former politician. She is one of only three swimmers to have won the same Olympic event three times – in her case the women's 100-metre freestyle... (wikipedia)
I did speak to my heart doctor, I spoke to my orthopedic doctor and I also spoke to my general practitioner and they all said, 'No, you are fit enough to do the show, go ahead and do it'.
I don't think we've actually seen the best of him yet. If he is hungry enough to do it, he will win the 200 and 400 in Beijing.
He may not be 100 per cent fit when he competes, but he will give a 100 per cent shot.
It is going to be a very tough series,
I knew that the stronger that I was, the faster I was going to swim, and thats all I had in my mind at the time, was I wanted to be the best swimmer in the world.
I don't linger on the fact that Dawn Fraser was a great swimmer 40 years ago. That was in the past. I did break 41 world records, but I don't live on that today.
If you're good at it, you can win.
The Olympics remain the most compelling search for excellence that exists in sport, and maybe in life itself.
It's a beautiful thing, diving into the cool crisp water and then just sort of being able to pull your body through the water and the water opening up for you.
I've worked hard all my life.
I can remember crawling through the window where he was in the hospital... He said, 'You have a gift... keep training for me.' I s'pose those were the last words he ever spoke to me.
I used to do some terrible things in the marshalling area to upset my rivals.
I probably have a different mental approach to swimming than most people. I actually enjoy training.
I've always believed that the desire must come from within, not as a result of being driven by coaches or parents.
Make yourself an example, achieve it, but don't hurt anyone on the way up. I don't think I did that.
We only have two things that we share in this life; we are born and we die. And what we do in between those times, we've got to be happy. I don't let the outside world deter me.
When I set my mind to do something, I want to come out a winner.
It wasn't deserved. Because I didn't do the things that they said I'd done. And it was a terrible sort of taste in my mouth ... to have been retired when I wasn't ready.
It might look like that but it's not my personal parking space, ... I'm telling you that's not true. Anyone that complains like that is jealous.
It's a happy occasion and, unlike most of the television we watch, there's no violence involved.
That is turning out to be a bit of a debacle but I spoke to the administrators the other day and they have assured me it is not anything to do with Paul or myself.
These old legs aren't really in tango form.